swing for me
by space cowgirl eris
Summary: yes...i changed the name after much thought. anyways this is a cowboy bebop fooly coolly crossover. mamimi has a bounty on her head for arson! Spike and Naota's point of veiws. please read and reveiw. not enough people reveiw my stories ::cries::
1. his standing point

All the time you hear stories. About many things, but stories happen everywhere. Everywhere is excitement, everywhere things happen. More often then not those happenings are ignored. But the really good ones, the juicy exciting ones make it big. This isn't a big story but I thought I would tell it anyways. Sometimes the little guy has to get up to the plate. Maybe then he'll swing the bat, maybe.  
  
A kid taught me that, a kid. I hate kids, I think. This one was okay though. He was very adult for his age, still in elementary school. I met him at a bakery, that's where he lived. He was twelve, now I remember. We went to check out a bounty on some girl who played with fire. Samejima Mamimi was her name, only in high school. The bounty was pathetic but it was that or a slightly bigger bounty that was suspected to be hiding in the Linus Mines. After the last experience there no one wanted to try it again.  
  
So Mabase it was, another boring ordinary town on Earth; another boring ordinary bounty.  
  
···  
  
Nothing exciting happens here. At least, nothing exciting happened here until Haruko came. That changed everything. And then Spike came and that changed everything even more. Or did it? It was scary I will say that but was I changed? He influenced me sure, but I don't know about change. Change was a scary word. It was exciting. All of the grown-ups got excited when the Medical Mechanica building came. Everyday it secretes a white smoke that covers the whole town.  
  
He was exciting. He smelled like Mamimi, cigarettes and smoke. Yet he seemed so.ordinary. He was like me, in a way. I hope I'm like him. He was so cool in a laid back non-caring kind of way. Nothing fazed him; he always had this.passive look on his face.  
  
But it was still cool. 


	2. cigarette steam

We were staying in a hotel. Jet couldn't take the ship down because there wasn't anyplace to, so he stayed up in space, but Ed came with Faye and I. She complained that she never got to go out enough so we let her come. She wouldn't find much to do in this town but oh well.  
  
The first thing I noticed was a huge building shaped like an iron. "Hey, Faye" I called on the intercom "what's with the building." "I don't know, it looks like an iron" I heard her say over the loud noises coming from Ed in the background. I rolled my eyes, of course it did.  
  
We arrived at the hotel around dinner time. I threw my bags on my bed and walked out to the balcony while Faye unpacked all of her things. I stared at the iron shaped building smoking until I noticed white steam come out of the bottom. I thought it was just from my cigarette but when I noticed it wasn't I thought that it might really be a big iron. I was pondering this until my thought train came to a skidding halt.  
  
"Spike! Yo, I'm hungry. Why don't you go get us something to eat?"  
  
With a sigh I lifted myself off of the railing and made my way back to the door stepping over stacks of clothes and cigarettes. How long did she think we were going to be here?  
  
The food in the hotel sucked. I decided to venture outside and scrounge up something to eat. Who knows, maybe I would even give some to Faye.  
  
On my way I passed a baseball game and stopped to watch. There was a boy up to bat, but he didn't swing as the three balls passed by. He didn't swing, not once. That was game; the boy's team had lost. I shrugged and started walking again.  
  
···  
  
I didn't swing. I didn't swing. I didn't swing.  
  
I repeated this phrase as I walked home after the game. Oh well, who cares what they think. Haruko's a good pitcher. It's not my fault. She's just too good. But I never swung, even when Haruko wasn't here.  
  
I kept walking, walking home. My bat dragged on the ground making high scraping noises. Tusuku's bat, I need his bat.  
  
So caught up in my thoughts I almost ran into the man standing in front of our bakery. Seeing no one inside he turned to the vending machine outside. He put in his card, then seeing it not work, proceeded to kick it. "Here," I handed him the bat. He looked at me with a perplexed look but didn't take the bat. I went inside and asked him what he wanted.  
  
"You work here?" he asked me. "Yeah," I replied "what do you want?" he looked around the shop at all the tuff we had. "Super spicy curry bread? Sounds gross, but it's on sale so I'll take it"  
  
He smiled slightly as he handed me his card. "Actually give me one plain; the curry will be for someone else." I gave him back his card and he left with his hands in his pockets whistling a care-free tune. 


	3. embarrased and alone

As I walked back to the hotel I was thinking about the town. It was so "everyday", so.boring. It was like the towns you hear about in stories; the ones where the kids are all jocks and where those jackets with the letters on them. Everyone seemed so.happy. No, not happy. It was just like they, existed. They seemed like normal people. I couldn't understand.  
  
I laughed when Faye took a bite of her bread. Her face turned bright red and contorted as if in pain. Ed started to laugh and mimic her face as she ran to the bathroom. As I wiped the tears from my eyes I went back to my own bread; a few minutes later I hard a voice from the bathroom. It could be heard easily over the running faucet:  
  
"DAMNIT SPIKE! WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?"  
  
That made me laugh even harder as I finished my dinner. I didn't want to be in the room when she came back so I grabbed my jacket and headed out.  
  
"Where is Spike-person going?"  
  
"Out." I replied with a sigh. "Edward wants to come!" she said with a pout. "Fine Ed, let's go." I said. I wanted to leave as soon as possible which left no time for arguing with Ed, plus it wasn't really fair to leave her there with Faye.  
  
The sky was getting darker as we walked down the sidewalk. Well, I walked. Ed bounced around sniffing things behind me staring wide-eyed at everything. As we came to the kid's bakery I saw him outside leaning against the wall. "Hey man, its kid of cold to be outside in a t-shirt." I said. Ed peeked out from behind me curiously, and began to creep up to him. She came so her face was right next to his. As she inched closer and closer with her wide-eyed gaze his eyes got bigger. Finally he blushed and looked away  
  
···  
  
"What are you doing?" I asked.  
  
The strange child with red hair jumped back and landed in a crouching position like an animal. I could've sworn she growled. "I'm sorry," said the man." This is Ed, she's a little odd." I stared at the thing before me. "Ed? She?" my bewildered gaze turned to the man. "It's a long story," said the man with a sigh. "I'm Spike Spiegel." He extended his hand out to shake but instead I just stared at him. I'd heard of him before, he was either a famous bounty hunter or computer genius. He didn't look much like a genius, but neither occupation were to be trusted. I looked away, it was rude. "Naota Nandaba" I said after several minutes. Spike took a place on the wall next to me. "Mind if I smoke?" he asked while taking a cigarette out of the package. "No" I said shyly still looking away.  
  
We stood there for several minutes longer, staring at the red haired child as she made her way around the strip of sidewalk in front of my house. Spike looked over to the vending machine next to him and gave it a short hard kick making a dent in the metal; three drinks popped out. He picked them up and handed one to me and popped one for himself. I stared at the label: the sweet kind.  
  
···  
  
I wondered why he wasn't drinking. Weird kid, he was just staring at it as if it were a huge sparkling diamond or a flea ridden washcloth infested with maggots. Suddenly he popped the top and threw his head back, draining half the can. I gave him a sidelong glance and did the same, except I finished all of it. I tossed the can in the basket next to the vending machine.  
  
Just then, a woman came out. Well, "came out" isn't really the word. It's more like she popped her head around the corner peering at Naota. "Naota- kun, what are you doing?" Then she slowly moved her gaze to me. "Oy, Naota- kun. Who is your friend?" Naota looked away and blushed. I stepped up to face her. "I'm Spike; it's nice to meet you." I said extending my hand. She took it and shook vigorously. "I'm Haruhara Haruko, it's a pleasure I'm sure! She grinned widely: it was really scary. I gave her a look but her eyes were closed so tight she didn't see. She reminded me of Ed.  
  
As if by magic I heard: "Ed feels left out." I turned around to see Ed standing with hands on hips and a pout on her face. Haruko looked at her with a slightly confused expression. "Piya?" she said as she tilted her head. Ed jumped on to her with a huge grin as she locked her arms around Haruko's neck. They both fell to the ground. Ed recovered first and climbed on to Haruko's chest.  
  
I stared at them with an apathetic look on my face. Then I nodded to Naota and started walking. After several steps I turned around to see him still standing there looking at me. "Come on" I said. He took one look back at the squirming Haruko and started to follow me. 


	4. crack goes the bat

Can I just say, I know the chapters are short. This will be a short chapter story so sue me. I like it this way, very random, very.fooly cooly. You do it kinda like this ::makes hand movements::  
  
...........................................  
  
It was nighttime. The full moon was the color of butter as we walked down the sidewalk away from the bakery, my bat making scraping noises as I dragged it on the pavement. Spike had nodded to me in front of the bakery, but I wasn't sure what that meant. So I stood looking at his back as he walked away. I felt foolish for not knowing what he wanted me to do.  
  
I walked behind him with my head down. Soon I noticed he was whistling, it was a sad tune. I looked up to the back of his green fuzzy head, and almost ran into him when he stopped. We were in front or the baseball field. Spike turned to lean on the fence, spitting out his cigarette where it glowed on the grass. "Why did you stop here?" I asked him. "Because I've never been to a baseball field before," he answered sincerely; all the while staring at the cigarette.  
  
I still stood in the middle of the sidewalk; under the blaring yellow streetlight holding my bat with one hand. Spike looked at me over his shoulder and extended his hand out for the bat. Reluctantly I gave it to him, and he one-handedly jumped over the fence and started walking. I just stood and stared.  
  
···  
  
I turned back to see that the kid wasn't following. I tilted my head as if to ask why. After several minutes of staring at the fence he walked up to it and slowly began to climb over. I waited till he was in, and then started walking to the cage.  
  
What called me here? I have no idea. Maybe it was the shining lights that lit up the field, or the thousands of stars that lit up the sky making targets for me to hit. I didn't know how to play though.  
  
Once there I picked up a spare ball that was lying on the ground. "So, how do you do this?" I asked him. He didn't answer; he just looked sideways with a slight blush on his face. I shrugged and walked to the plate. I had seen this game played on television and thought I could probably figure it out.  
  
I tossed the ball high into the air as I got into position and readied the bat. I swung hard but the ball went far to the left. "Your hands are upside down" said Naota shyly. I quickly flipped my hands and gave him a grin. This only caused him to look away again.  
  
I went to retrieve the ball, but on my way back I noticed someone riding down the hill next to the field crazily on a vespa. I took on a confused look and scratched my head with the ball still in my hand as she came plummeting down the incline. Was there someone else on there too? If there were two, both were screaming at the top of their lungs.  
  
They came to a screeching halt in front of Naota. I saw in the light that it was Haruko with Ed clinging on dear life with a look of pure horror on her face. I came back to cage chuckling as Haruko tried to pry Ed off of her. Naota just had a look of confusion and intrigue.  
  
Haruko straightened up as she saw me. I thought I saw her blush but it was hard to tell because she had a muffler, helmet, and goggles. I looked at her with a puzzled look but she blushed even further and turned to Naota. " Heya Takkun." " Takkun?" I asked. "It's what she calls me" replied a blushing Naota. "Takkun, that's cute" I chuckled. 


	5. out of it

I went to school the next day with my bucket hat on. Ninamori told me it was lame. She doesn't always know best. After school I went to see Mamimi. She was playing in the river with her game: Firestarter. I sat on the bank and did my homework until Mamimi came and put her arms around me. I blushed lightly; I was used to it. However my face turned deep red when I heard a familiar voice  
  
"Yo Nandaba! You might want to move!" I turned around to see Spike with his fingers aimed like a gun. "Bang!" he exclaimed while making a shooting motion. Mamimi turned around and looked at him with a curious slightly confused gaze. Spike returned it as he walked down the hill.  
  
"What, what are you doing here?" I asked him still blushing. "I was around, just walking as I spotted you." He looked towards Mamimi. "Ma.who's your friend?" he asked me. Mamimi stood up clutching her game in both hands. I slowly got to my feet. "This is . Samejima Mamimi."It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Samejima, I am Spike Spiegel" said Spike as he bowed to kiss Mamimi's hand. He never took his narrowed eyes off of her face.  
  
···  
  
Well, it was an interesting turn. So, Nandaba's girlfriend is the bounty I'm after. I don't even think they know she has a price on her head. This will get interesting. I stared at Samejima's face; she looked slightly scared and confused. No, it was more than slightly.  
  
I said goodbye to the two and made my way back to the hotel. When Ed and I came home Faye was still fuming but she stayed in her room most of the time. Jet called giving me more stats on the girl. I didn't tell either of them that I had actually met her.  
  
I spent the rest of the say I spent in the hotel reading the magazines I had recently bought. Then I went outside to smoke. I once again saw the smoke billow from the building. Medical Mechanica was what it was called. At least, that's what the magazines said. Everyone talked about it as if it were something big and exciting. It was just a building, even if it was shaped like an iron. Oh well, I guess anything is exciting when you live in a town like Mabase.  
  
···  
  
After school the next day I went to the river but Mamimi wasn't there. I sat by the bank and waited, knowing she would come eventually. By some chance I looked behind me and saw Spike sitting there. His eyes were slightly closed; his eyelids drooped with sleep but I could tell he wasn't sleeping. But he wasn't looking at me. He stared straight ahead as if lost in deep thought. Spike, he seemed like a thinker but he was so carefree. I didn't understand.  
  
I didn't want to wake him from his stupor; that would be rude. But it was unnerving to have him behind me. So I just moved further down the river and tried to do my homework, but eventually I gave up and stared at him. He was so odd, just sitting there, leaning against the concrete support of the bridge. One arm on his upright knee, the other lay limply on the ground next to his other leg. It was so casual, his pose, but his face was so serious. He looked like the statues of the Greek gods on their thrones.  
  
Mamimi still hadn't come. I began to feel bored, and Spike still hadn't moved. Was he even breathing? I decided to find out. I crawled to his side as to not obstruct his view. I peered at his apathetic face and jumped as he turned his head and looked at me with a small smile.  
  
"Yo Nandaba"  
  
I stared at him with an annoyed face but that revoked a confused look from him.  
  
"What did I do? "he asked in a pleading tone. "Um.nothing" I replied quickly. Then I sighed and slid to the ground so I was lying on my back. "Your girlfriend is cute" he said. I turned on my side facing away from him so he couldn't see my face as it slowly turned red. "She's not my girlfriend" I replied quickly. He didn't reply though. "She's.she's my brother's girlfriend." "Oh, you have a brother?" he asked with interest. "Yeah, he's in America playing baseball" I replied still turned away. "Underground America huh? That's cool. Was he good?" "Yeah, he was." We sat in silence for several minutes longer.  
  
"Spike, do you like Haruko?"  
  
"Wha? No, why?" he asked as he turned to me with a look of bewilderment. I looked into his eyes; they held no hint of lying. Instead they sparkled dully, like coals that had not yet been turned into diamonds.  
  
···  
  
"Your eyes are different colors" he said as he kept staring. "Yeah, one is a fake" I replied with a sigh. "Which one?" he asked with surprising interest. "My right; I lost it in a gunfight." I started to reminisce about the past like I was before Naota came over; but refrained because it was probably rude. "My left eye sees the past; my right eye sees the present." I said without thinking. Naota just kept staring at me; it was a little unnerving.  
  
"You.you're a bounty hunter right?"  
  
The question caught me off-guard. "Uh.yeah, I am" I stumbled "How did you know." "Everyone knows who Spike Spiegel is. Well, not too many people know who you are here. I read an article about you once." He trailed off. "Oh yeah?" I responded with new found interest, "Whad' it say?"  
  
"Nothing really, but I figure . you must see a lot of excitement" 


	6. boring old town

It's so short! I know, I'm sorry. Please don't hit me! ::covers her face::  
  
..............................................  
  
"Spike, why the hell is this taking so long?" Faye whined as she sat on her bed.  
  
"Are you really that bored Faye?" I asked her as I peered over my book.  
  
"Yes, I am. This town is like . I can't even think of the word it's so boring!"  
  
"Then why don't you leave?"  
  
Faye shot me an annoyed glace but I was back to reading.  
  
"Hey, where's Ed?"  
  
"Ed? She's at a friend's house I believe."  
  
···  
  
The strange girl appeared next to me and my friends. She (it was a she wasn't it?) surprised everyone by sneaking up to us then coming in with some sort of loud airplane noise. Gaku peered at her and Masashi kid of stood back. Ninamori looked her over and told her it wasn't cool.  
  
It wasn't.  
  
Spike appeared in the distance, with another person? Was it Haruko? No, it was someone else. A woman though.  
  
"Yo Ed, leave the poor kids alone." He half shouted half laughed.  
  
Ed looked back with a pout and sulked back to where they were walking. As they came nearer the woman stayed back restraining the eager Ed while Spike came forward alone. "Yo Nandaba" he said as he nodded to me and each of my friends in turn "Have you seen Samejima around?" "Uh, no. She's usually at the bridge." I told him, but I was curious "Why?" He started to turn back and walk away "Just need to ask her something." Ninamori stared at him as he left.  
  
"He was so cool"  
  
···  
  
We left Naota and his friends and started walking towards the bridge. If we could get this done and not see Naota or Haruko again that would be good.  
  
I stop as I hear the sounds of a vespa behind me. Fate could never be that kind. I put a smile on my face and turn around as the sounds get closer. I didn't realize just how close she was.  
  
I woke up groggily on the pavement. Haruko was peering over me but jumped back with a shriek when I awoke. I sat up and looked around; Faye and Ed were nowhere in sight. "What happened to the two people that were here?" I asked Haruko. "Oh! I have a message form the one named Faye:" she took on a silly, valley girl looking face and tone, "Spike you stupid lunkhead (lunkhead, lunkhead) this is so boring and stupid for such a meaningless reward. Catch her yourself (mumble mumble). End message." Haruko just sat with that stupid grin on her face. "I think she likes you" she teased.  
  
I heard sirens and the smoke poured out of the Medical Mechanica building. 


	7. over the bridge and through the stars

I had followed Spike; I saw as he got run over by Haruko. What were they saying?  
  
"Oh! Spike.I think.likes you."  
  
An intense pressure came from my head. Suddenly another horn appeared. I staggered back from the weight as it continued to come out.  
  
···  
  
I turned back to Haruko as her bracelet started to move. We both stared at it for a second, and then my gaze turned to her face which was turned in the direction of the bridge where we heard various scraping and clunking noises and then a yell.  
  
Haruko grabbed her guitar and started to run; I was right behind her with my gun.  
  
···  
  
I stood in shock staring at the new thing that had come out of the dark depths of my head. I backed against the wall in fear as it edged closer. Suddenly Haruko ran in brandishing her guitar with a maniacal grin spread across her face. I watched her as she swung her guitar with all her might, but nothing happened. Suddenly a shot rang out, then again and again. I looked back to where Haruko made her entrance and saw Spike holding a smoking gun. I was reminded of the time on the hill. He smiled as he shot, he smiled.  
  
···  
  
I was lying on my bed, pondering the events of the day. What the hell was that thing? Where'd it come from? No one would tell me, at least, they tried but I couldn't understand. I couldn't.  
  
I was feeling restless and decided to go for a walk. I walked for an hour before coming to the bridge. This time I went over it, and was rewarded by seeing Samejima Mamimi standing by herself, smoking. I went up to her and put my arms around her so she couldn't escape. "Samejima." I whispered "Samejima Mamimi, you have to come with me now. You've been very bad, you know that?" I turned her around so she could face me and I silently put the handcuffs on her wrists. Her head stayed down the whole time, smoke gently curling from behind the hood of hair. I turned to leave but I saw Naota standing there panting. He was in a t-shirt and shorts, but this time I didn't chuckle, I didn't act confused, I just existed. He didn't understand.  
  
"Why, why are you taking her?"  
  
"Arson." I replied "All part of a day's work kid, sorry." I grabbed Samejima's hand and started walking. Behind me I heard him yell "Kanchi!" I thought it nonsense and kept walking. But I was interrupted when something landed in front of me. I looked up slowly, a robot? I had never seen anything like it before. Suddenly it made a swing at me but I let go of Samejima's hands and dodged the attack.  
  
It came at me again but I countered with a kick. It did nothing, him being made out of metal and all. Instead it brought a crashing punch to my head and I went flying across the bridge. I got up and quickly thought about what to do as the robot came running towards me. Suddenly I felt a guitar being put under my hand. I looked down to see Ed holding a bass guitar with a sly smile. I would have asked her what the hell she was doing there but I had more important things to focus on. I got into position and readied my "bat" as the robot jumped for an air-born attack.  
  
Crack went the bat. 


	8. swing for me Nandaba

I watched as Kanchi went flying across the length of the bridge, then my gaze turned to Spike who still held the bat up as he watched Kanchi too. He let out a low whistle and cringed as Kanchi landed with a crash. He lowered the bat, handing it to the red-haired girl. What she doing here? Where had she come from? Suddenly everyone's vision shifted to Kanchi as he got up. He was missing an arm and half of his screen but I saw the red appear on his monitor.  
  
I was gone.  
  
····  
  
I stared in shock  
  
"Did.did you just eat Nandaba?" I asked it with an unbelieving look on my face. Well, either it couldn't speak English, chose to ignore my comments, or was a little preoccupied changing into a cannon. I grabbed Edward and started to run; I wasn't prepared to handle this. I rounded the corner and looked back as I saw a glowing cannon ball whiz past.  
  
I was packing my things in the hotel room. So, Nandaba has a personal robot, and it can swallow him and turn into a cannon..interesting. Edward was sitting on the floor cross-legged with the guitar in her lap staring at me.  
  
"Where did you come from? I thought you went with Faye back to the Bebop."  
  
"Edward did go with Faye-Faye but Ed thought Spike might need some help so Edward came back."  
  
"Oh..and where did you get the guitar?  
  
"Haruko gave it to me" she said admiring her new toy "but you can have it." She handed me the guitar and I took it gingerly. It was just a guitar right? Then why did I feel so strange when I picked it up?"  
  
I took an old tie and tied it to the guitar to make a strap. I slung it over my shoulder.  
  
"Come on Ed, let's go."  
  
···  
  
I don't know who Spike really was. He wasn't ordinary, I knew that. He was exciting, he smelled like Mamimi: cigarettes and smoke.  
  
He was so cool, so laid back. Nothing fazed him, such an easy going person. Yet he had a depth that no one could measure. And that was only what I could tell him his eyes.  
  
Two weeks later I got a package. There was no card, and no return address. It was a guitar, and someone had inscribed something in messy handwriting.  
  
Swing for me Nandaba 


End file.
